AfriGeneas Free Persons of Color Forum

: My grandfather and his family were all born in Albemarle. His
: grandfather was a slave at Monticello (either a stone mason or a
: carpenter) There is a family story that my great grandfather
: sold 400 acres in Albemarle to send my grandfather to Law
: School. I found a sale, with the right name and time period, but
: the family member was in Ohio, which did not fit into the family
: story.

: Last week, when I mentioned this to an elderly cousin she told me
: that my great grandfather went visiting to Ohio, but no one
: remembers why or who he went to see. Your information gives me a
: place to look and see if there is a connection, Thank you so
: much!

Hi Lee: Howard D. Woodson lived across the street from me in Washington D.C. and his son John and his wife, Minnie Shumate Woodson were good friends of mine.

Minnie did most of the research on the Woodsons and the Hemings for the family. She also collaborated with Fawn Brodie, who wrote "Thomas Jefferson, an Intimate History, which was the first book published about the Sally Hemings and Jefferson. Brodie was white and she and Minnie are deceased. Barbara Chase Raboud wrote more on this subject, she is a black author. Minnies' son, Byron Woodson published a book last spring, titled , "A President in the Family." There is a lot of information in all these books. Minnie wrote a self published history of the Woodsons, called the "Woodson Source Book", in which she documents the Ohio and other families history. She found that Jefferson's aunt was married to a Col. John Woodson, who lived not far from Monticello., at which she believes Thomas Woodson lived after things got too hot at Monticello when Callender printed the stories about Sally Hemings at the very time
Jefferson was running for President.
Thomas Woodson established his community in Jackson County, Berlin Crossroads, Ohio, by the way of Greenbrier County, Va. (now West Virginia)and area about 100 miles from Monticello, Va, with "EIGHT OTHER BLACK FAMILIES IN 1830". By 1840the self sufficient farm community had grown to 23 families. The settlement continued until 1870.

I hope this helps, as I don't have any info on those other areas at this time. Best regards, Lloyd